Disclosed are systems, methods and devices for obtaining round trip time measurements for use in location based services. In particular implementations, a fine timing measurement request message wirelessly transmitted by a first transceiver device to a second transceiver device may permit additional processing features in computing or applying a signal round trip time measurement. Such a signal round trip time measurement may be used in positioning operations.
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1. A method comprising, at a first wireless transceiver device: transmitting a fine timing measurement request message to a second wireless transceiver device, the fine timing measurement request message comprising at least one field specifying at least one physical signal characteristic of one or more fine timing measurement messages requested for transmission from the second wireless transceiver device in response to the fine timing measurement request message; calculating a round trip time (RTT) measurement based, at least in part, on the one or more fine timing measurement messages requested for transmission; and performing a positioning operation based, at least in part, on the calculated RTT measurement, to determine a location of the first wireless transceiver device.
A method for location determination using round trip time (RTT) measurements involves a first wireless device sending a "fine timing measurement request" to a second wireless device. This request includes fields specifying desired characteristics (e.g., channel, encoding) for subsequent "fine timing measurement" messages sent back from the second device. The first device then calculates an RTT based on these returned fine timing measurement messages, and uses this RTT to determine its own location.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a field of the at least one field specifies a fine timing measurement message channel separation to be implemented in a transmission of at least one fine timing measurement message to be transmitted by the second wireless transceiver device in response to the fine timing measurement request message.
In the method of using RTT for location, the "fine timing measurement request" message includes a field specifying the desired channel separation for the "fine timing measurement" messages that the second device sends back. This allows the first device to control the characteristics of the returned signals.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one field specifies the fine timing measurement channel separation as an encoded byte.
In the method of using RTT for location, the "fine timing measurement request" message specifies the channel separation as an encoded byte within the request, allowing for compact representation of channel separation.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a field of the at least one field specifies a frequency channel for transmission of a message from the second wireless transceiver device in response to the fine timing measurement request message.
In the method of using RTT for location, the "fine timing measurement request" message includes a field specifying the particular frequency channel the second device should use when transmitting its response messages.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one field further specifies an encoding type to be implemented in the transmission of at the least one fine timing measurement message.
In the method of using RTT for location, the "fine timing measurement request" message includes a field specifying the encoding type the second device should use when transmitting its "fine timing measurement" messages.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the encoding type is specified as HT, non-HT or VHT encoding.
In the method of using RTT for location, the encoding type specified in the "fine timing measurement request" message is one of HT (High Throughput), non-HT, or VHT (Very High Throughput) encoding.
7. The method of claim 1 , and further comprising: receiving a fine timing measurement request message acknowledgement message in response to the fine timing measurement request message comprising at least one field specifying a transmit power to be used in transmitting subsequent fine timing measurement messages from the second wireless transceiver device.
The RTT location method involves the first device receiving an acknowledgement message from the second device in response to the "fine timing measurement request" message. This acknowledgement includes a field specifying the transmit power the second device will use for subsequent "fine timing measurement" messages.
8. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising at the first wireless transceiver device: receiving a fine timing measurement request message acknowledgement message transmitted by the second wireless transceiver device in response to the fine timing measurement request message comprising at least one field specifying an antenna gain to be applied in transmitting subsequent fine timing measurement messages from the second wireless transceiver device.
The RTT location method includes the first device receiving an acknowledgement message from the second device in response to the "fine timing measurement request". This acknowledgement message includes a field specifying the antenna gain the second device will apply when transmitting subsequent "fine timing measurement" messages.
9. The method of claim 1 , and further comprising: receiving a fine timing measurement request message acknowledgement message transmitted by the second wireless transceiver device in response to receipt of the fine timing measurement request message comprising at least one field specifying an identifier of an antenna to be used in transmitting subsequent fine timing measurement messages from the second wireless transceiver device.
The RTT location method includes the first device receiving an acknowledgement message from the second device after sending the "fine timing measurement request". This acknowledgement includes a field specifying which antenna the second device will use for transmitting subsequent "fine timing measurement" messages.
10. A first wireless transceiver device comprising: a transceiver to transmit messages to and receive messages from a wireless communication network; and one or more processors configured to: initiate transmission of a fine timing measurement request message through the transceiver to a second wireless transceiver device, the fine timing measurement request message comprising at least one field specifying at least one physical signal characteristic of one or more fine timing measurement messages requested for transmission from the second wireless transceiver device in response to the fine timing measurement request message; calculate a round trip time (RTT) measurement based, at least in part, on the one or more fine timing measurement messages requested for transmission; and perform a positioning operation based, at least in part, on the calculated RTT measurement, to determine a location of the first wireless transceiver device.
A wireless device determines its location using RTT measurements. It includes a transceiver and a processor. The processor initiates sending a "fine timing measurement request" to another device, specifying desired characteristics (channel, encoding, etc.) of the response. It then calculates RTT based on received "fine timing measurement" messages and uses this RTT to determine the device's location.
11. The first wireless transceiver device of claim 10 , wherein a field of the at least one field specifies a fine timing measurement message channel separation to be implemented in a transmission of at least one fine timing measurement message to be transmitted by the second wireless transceiver device in response to the fine timing measurement request message.
In the wireless device using RTT for location, the "fine timing measurement request" message includes a field specifying the desired channel separation for the "fine timing measurement" messages that the second device sends back. This allows the first device to control the characteristics of the returned signals.
12. The first wireless transceiver device of claim 10 , wherein a field of the at least one field specifies a frequency channel for transmission of a message from the second wireless transceiver device in response to the fine timing measurement request message.
In the wireless device using RTT for location, the "fine timing measurement request" message includes a field specifying the frequency channel the second device should use when transmitting its response messages.
13. The first wireless transceiver device of claim 10 , wherein the at least one field further specifies an encoding type to be implemented in the transmission of the least one fine timing measurement message.
In the wireless device using RTT for location, the "fine timing measurement request" message includes a field specifying the encoding type the second device should use when transmitting its "fine timing measurement" messages.
14. The first wireless transceiver device claim 10 , and further comprising: receiving a fine timing measurement request message acknowledgement message in response to the fine timing measurement request message comprising at least one field specifying a transmit power to be used in transmitting subsequent fine timing measurement messages from the second wireless transceiver device.
The wireless device using RTT location receives an acknowledgement message from the second device in response to the "fine timing measurement request" message. This acknowledgement includes a field specifying the transmit power the second device will use for subsequent "fine timing measurement" messages.
15. The first wireless transceiver device of claim 10 , the one or more processors at the first wireless transceiver device further configured to: receive a fine timing measurement request message acknowledgement message transmitted by the second wireless transceiver device in response to the fine timing measurement request message comprising at least one field specifying an antenna gain to be applied in transmitting subsequent fine timing measurement messages from the second wireless transceiver device.
The wireless device using RTT location receives an acknowledgement message from the second device in response to the "fine timing measurement request". This acknowledgement message includes a field specifying the antenna gain the second device will apply when transmitting subsequent "fine timing measurement" messages.
16. An article comprising: a non-transitory storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon which are executable by a special purpose computing apparatus of a first wireless transceiver device to: initiate transmission of a fine timing measurement request message to a second wireless transceiver device, the fine timing measurement request message comprising at least one field specifying at least one physical signal characteristic of one or more fine timing measurement messages requested for transmission from the second wireless transceiver device in response to the fine timing measurement request message; calculate a round trip time (RTT) measurement based, at least in part, on the one or more fine timing measurement messages requested for transmission; and perform a positioning operation based, at least in part, on the calculated RTT measurement, to determine a location of the first wireless transceiver device.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium stores instructions that, when executed by a processor in a wireless device, cause the device to determine its location using RTT measurements. The instructions cause the device to send a "fine timing measurement request" specifying desired characteristics of responses from another device, calculate RTT based on those responses, and determine its location using the calculated RTT.
17. The article of claim 16 , wherein a field of the at least one field specifies a fine timing measurement message channel separation to be implemented in a transmission of at least one fine timing measurement message to be transmitted by the second wireless transceiver device in response to the fine timing measurement request message.
In the computer-readable medium for RTT location, the "fine timing measurement request" message includes a field specifying the desired channel separation for the "fine timing measurement" messages that the second device sends back. This allows the first device to control the characteristics of the returned signals.
18. The article of claim 16 , wherein a field of the at least one field specifies a frequency channel for transmission of a message from the second wireless transceiver device in response to the fine timing measurement request message.
In the computer-readable medium for RTT location, the "fine timing measurement request" message includes a field specifying the frequency channel the second device should use when transmitting its response messages.
19. The article of claim 16 , wherein the at least one field further specifies an encoding type to be implemented in the transmission of at the least one fine timing measurement message.
In the computer-readable medium for RTT location, the "fine timing measurement request" message includes a field specifying the encoding type the second device should use when transmitting its "fine timing measurement" messages.
20. The article of claim 16 , and wherein the instructions are further executable by the special purpose computing apparatus to: obtain a fine timing measurement request message acknowledgement message received in response to the fine timing measurement request message comprising at least one field specifying a transmit power to be used in transmitting subsequent fine timing measurement messages from the second wireless transceiver device.
The computer-readable medium for RTT location also contains instructions to process a "fine timing measurement request acknowledgement" received in response to the initial request. The acknowledgement specifies the transmit power that the responding device will use in subsequent timing messages.
21. The article of claim 16 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the special purpose computing apparatus to: obtain a fine timing measurement request message acknowledgement message received from the second wireless transceiver device in response to the fine timing measurement request message comprising at least one field specifying an antenna gain to be applied in transmitting subsequent fine timing measurement messages from the second wireless transceiver device.
The computer-readable medium for RTT location also contains instructions to process a "fine timing measurement request acknowledgement" received from the responding device. The acknowledgement contains information about the antenna gain to be used by the responding device when transmitting subsequent timing messages.
22. A first wireless transceiver device comprising: means for transmitting a fine timing measurement request message to a second wireless transceiver device, the fine timing measurement request message comprising at least one field specifying at least one physical signal characteristic of one or more fine timing measurement messages requested for transmission from the second wireless transceiver device in response to the fine timing measurement request message; means for receiving from the second wireless transceiver device one or more fine timing measurement request messages transmitted based, at least in part, on the at least one field; means for calculating a round trip time (RTT) measurement based, at least in part, on the received one or more fine timing measurement request messages; and means for performing a positioning operation based, at least in part, on the calculated RTT measurement, to determine a location of the first wireless transceiver device.
A wireless device for location determination includes: means for transmitting a "fine timing measurement request" specifying desired signal characteristics; means for receiving "fine timing measurement" messages from a second device based on the request; means for calculating RTT based on the received messages; and means for performing a positioning operation based on the calculated RTT.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
May 22, 2014
July 4, 2017
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